Mid West Charity Begins at Home gala ball hosted by Rove McManus breaks fundraising record by $20,000

The spirit of generosity is still alive and thriving in Geraldton as the Midwest Charity Begins at Home gala ball broke its fundraising record by $20,000 on Saturday night. The oriental-themed event hosted by Rove McManus was a roaring success for the charity, which helps support Mid West residents experiencing serious illness and their families. Last year the bar was set high, raising $300,000 between the 420-strong crowd, but it was no match for this year’s cohort. “We broke our record. We raised $320,000, which we really weren’t expecting to do given the turn out,” said event co-ordinator, Onika-Lee Routledge. This year, 370 people attended the event, which is 50 people below the maximum capacity of the venue at Geraldton Grammar School’s Batavia Hall. The most sought after auction item was a 10-person, fully catered open box for the Pink concert, which sold for $22,000, and was donated by Westweld Engineering. “It was a wonderful night. It was amazing to see Rove, everyone really enjoyed his presence,” Ms Routledge said. The WA comedian has a strong link to Geraldton, with his actor wife Tasma Walton raised here. Walton did not attend the gala with McManus, as she had filming commitments elsewhere. The event has been 10 months in the making, with a volunteer board and committee of 11 people planning since January. A team of 35 volunteers on the night ensured everything went off without a hitch. The board will meet in the coming weeks to discuss changes and feedback, and will meet again next year to begin planning the 2024 gala. In its 16th year, the event has raised well in excess of $3 million to support more than 350 Mid West families coping with life-changing illness in financial need.